Fernández was a former assistant to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Sopo worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and Jiménez, who defines himself as a Libertarian, volunteers for non-profit organizations.

What the third generation Cuban-Americans do have in common is their plight to create awareness about human rights issues in Cuba before the eyes of the world.

The three men are on a mission to encourage Pope Benedict XVI to grant equal time to human rights activists in Cuba during his upcoming visit to the island this month.

"I can think of no better way for the Pope to make human rights the centerpiece of his visit than by taking the time to personally meet with the island's leading human rights activists, such as the Ladies in White, Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet and Yoani Sánchez," said Sopo, a marketing executive and political consultant in Miami.

The three activists, who have become close friends, believe the Cuban regime will discourage the Vatican from recognizing individuals outside a select-few who will be pre-approved by the government.

"This shouldn’t surprise anyone as we have all seen the horrific images of state security forces beating and dragging women through the streets of Havana for the mere crime of marching for human rights," added Sopo. "These men and women need to know we have their backs."

Fernández was a former assistant to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Sopo worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and Jiménez, who defines himself as a Libertarian, volunteers for non-profit organizations.

What the third generation Cuban-Americans do have in common is their plight to create awareness about human rights issues in Cuba before the eyes of the world.

The three men are on a mission to encourage Pope Benedict XVI to grant equal time to human rights activists in Cuba during his upcoming visit to the island this month.

"I can think of no better way for the Pope to make human rights the centerpiece of his visit than by taking the time to personally meet with the island's leading human rights activists, such as the Ladies in White, Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet and Yoani Sánchez," said Sopo, a marketing executive and political consultant in Miami.

The three activists, who have become close friends, believe the Cuban regime will discourage the Vatican from recognizing individuals outside a select-few who will be pre-approved by the government.

"This shouldn’t surprise anyone as we have all seen the horrific images of state security forces beating and dragging women through the streets of Havana for the mere crime of marching for human rights," added Sopo. "These men and women need to know we have their backs."